Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-09-28
THIEVES AND THIEvERY.
some characteristics OF Englands
Iight-fingered Gcutry.

Although a man always looks upon
clever theft with an air of romance, he
never unite realizes the position until
tba thief or sharper has fleeced himself.
We are ant to laugh at the mISfortunes
OF the man who puts his head out OF
his cab on foggy day, in response 10
knock az the window, and finds his hat
disappearing in the gloom. Nor do We
show more sympathy with the man VINO
collides with another Individual IN the
street, and who on having his Lat,
which has fallen. handed back with
profuse apologies for the accident, hnds
from its size and general appearance
that not many hours before u must
have adorned scarecrow. But these
incidents in no way illustrate the cool
ness and intrepidity Of the professional
thief. who does not usually aim AZ
trifies.
Last winter an ingenious theft was
p.rpetrated by two well-known pick
pockets who had followed gentleman
out Of the stalls OF 4 Leeds theater.
For a moment they parted company,
and when the younger Joined his COM
paniou lie handed him a pOcketbook,
from which was taken some notes and
money. To substitute false notes was
the work OF a second. you have lost
v0ur pocketbook, sir" said the elder
thief. hurrying after the gentleman.
With a cool bow, the thief hastened
away pleased with the gentlerlsn'S
tbanks-and his watch At Blrming
ham not long ago, a thief was detected
in the act Of stealing a gentleman
watch. In his haste 10 escape he ran
into the arms Of detective, who had
been watching him for some time.
Naturally the thief must have felt
somewhat excited at such moment;
but If he did, he showed no symptoms of
being so. Although instantly secured
by the unenyiable haudcutfs, he had
the presence Of mind to pass the watch
unobserved into the pocket Of a pasSer-
by. This person was puzzled 10 know
how he became the poaSesSor OF the
watch, and being afraid Of keeping the
gift, was sufficiently honest To hand IL
10 the police. Another instance of the
remarkable GOODNESS and audacity of =
thief, though perhaps not an uncom-
mon one is worth relating. One day,
Liverpool stalk man capable OF
doing mischief of any kind for trihe-
having watched his opportunity, took
up a coat that hung outside a pawn
brokers' shop Fllnging it over his
arm, and carrying it into the shop as If
intending To make a purchase, he offer
ed It for sale. Not recognizing his own
property, the pawnbroker bought the
coat. But even this did not satisfy the
thief. He handled some silk handker-
chiefs, and in choosing one, remarked
oarelessly: Take pay for this out OF
the money for the coat" But | have
given you the money" Indignantly an
swered the pawubroker. 20 no; you
haven't, " said the thief. \ warm al
tercatiOn ensued. In vain the shop
man protested that he had paid the
money; and ut last the thief went out
in search of an officer TO settle the dis
pute, taking with him some silver
spoons, several silk handkerchiefs, as
well as the silk handkerchief in ques-
tion, which in his excitement the broker
had forgotten
But the thief is not always So cool
and collected as we are wont to believe
him. lie is especially unneryed by
hunger and the police. Not long ago a
well-known actor, while in the pro-
vinCes, had occasion to walk some dis
tance ut midnight, aud was stopped on
lonely road by an ill-clId rutlian.
Fool" mutteTed the actor, coOlly,
"there'S an officer within 4 hundred
yards of us; m With an eNclI-
nation the thief disappeared over a
wall, and the next morning his dead !
body was found in a river close 10y, in
TO which in his haste he had fallen.
Some five or six years ago the shop
keepers Of Bradford were thrown into a
state of alarm by a couple of young
lads. One of the two used to make "A
small purchase at a shop, and by telling
a plausible tale that 4 boy outside
would take the purchase from him if it
were seen, he got the shopman TO put
the article down the back of his coat.
While thus employed, the ingenious
youth very easily relieved the shopman
of his watch and then bolted. After
him came 1.-THE boy outside - to inform
the shOpman Of his loss. The latter
having had carefully described to him
the road the thief had not taken, ran at
once after the culprit, the second boy in
the meantime helping himself to the
contents of the TIL. How often this
larceny was practiced few shopmen in
Bradford care TO remember. Once, for
the writer's ediiication, u young lad,
not more than l. years of age, under
took 10 stand IN a prominent thorough
fare in Leeds and open the ladies'
sachels as they passed, without being
observed. He never failed once, and
very often succeeded in taking out their
purses also, which, of course. were i'm
mediately returned intact. 1t is often
argued, that if taken from their evil as
sOciates, many thieves would reform.
1t Is very doubtful; they love their ne
fariOus orgies and their liberty toe
dearly.
One instance in support Of this is en-
ough. y clergyman in Bristol once iu-
terested himself in the welfare of a
penltent thief, and secured situation
for him I'm South Australia. But while
at his benefactor'S house, listening to
the bright prospects that awaited him,
the thief was stealing the good mans
spoons, watch and ring. The chances
of becoming rich in a day are further
Inducements, as in the case of the
gambler, to continue their life OF reck-
leSsness and crime. y Liverpool de-
tective once stated that c4UO and sew
eral watches were found upon a uotori-
Gus plckpOcket during festival in that
city; and 1t Is no uncommon thing for
couple of thieves during the Derby
week to steal $500 or 1900 worth Ol
valuables.